Translation guide
A thesaurus is a reference book or tool that lists words grouped by meaning. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 類語辞典 (ruigo jiten), but depending on context, other terms like シソーラス (shiisōrasu) or 同義語辞典 (dōgigo jiten) may be used. This guide explains how to refer to a thesaurus in Japanese, including digital tools and related concepts.
Referring to a physical or digital book that lists synonyms and related words.
The most common and natural term for a thesaurus in Japanese. Literally 'similar-word dictionary'. Used for both print and digital versions.
I looked up synonyms for 'beautiful' in a thesaurus.
Loanword from English, commonly used in technical contexts such as linguistics, natural language processing, or digital thesauri. Less common in everyday conversation.
Literally 'synonym dictionary'. More specific than 類語辞典, focusing strictly on synonyms rather than broader related words. Less common and may sound technical.
Referring to a thesaurus feature in software, websites, or apps.
Talking about the idea of a thesaurus as a linguistic resource.
類語辞典 is the everyday word for a thesaurus, while シソーラス is a technical loanword. Use 類語辞典 in most situations; シソーラス is appropriate in IT, linguistics, or when referring to a specific digital thesaurus database.
When asking for a thesaurus in a bookstore or library, say 類語辞典はありますか？ (Do you have a thesaurus?). For online searches, 類語検索 is widely understood.
この検索エンジンはシソーラス機能を搭載している。
This search engine has a thesaurus function.
A synonym dictionary collects only words with exactly the same meaning.
This dictionary app comes with a thesaurus function.
A thesaurus is a useful tool for writers.